{ Friday Night Lights: fic recs. }

[delga]

Fic recs, as promised. They're all primarily gen, and they tend to be character-driven pieces because (a) that's what the fandom produces and (b) that's what I enjoy. By the by, if anyone has recs for me based on what I'm posting, please let me know.

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tangleofthorns (3)
tell summer no (tyra)

Summer is spiteful. Summer laughs at Dillon and bears right down with its 105-degree temperature, its touch so dry that even sweating hurts. Tyra's learning to treasure her hours at Applebee's, all the free ice-cold conditioned air that she can inhale. It's hell to leave at the end of the shift, walking out into the dead heat, her hair a sticky, heavy rope against her throat.

I love Tyra's resilience. At first she was that stereotypical makes-trouble, can't-wait-to-leave outsider staple but she quickly became a much more complex character, a product of Dillon but fighting for a way to make something of herself that wasn't football. Tyra is, in many ways, small-town Americana, dreams and frustrations all, but she's also beautiful and strong and always, always fighting. This fic is about summer in Dillon, and the lyricism is true to Tyra's character. A wonderful ficlet, and an enjoyable read.



running up that hill (lyla)

The last summer Lyla ever spends in Dillon is unusually, unfairly beautiful, like it's got something to prove. The heat of the day fades at sunset, and she saves her daily run until the sky's good and dark and the streetlights divide her shadow in twos and threes. In most parts of town it's still safe to run alone on a summer night, something she'd never do on a college campus. Even here, Lyla keeps her cell phone holstered to her thigh, but she feels safe. Safe from strangers, anyway.

There are two prevalent ideas about Lyla Garrity, but I like this one better: that she, like Tyra, is going to fight it out before her circumstance gets the better of her. This poignant fic, set some time in the not-too-distant future, sees Lyla maintaining control and - whether she knows it or not - saying goodbye.



we'll see what gets left behind (tim)

The unkind truth was that you could lose people, lose people that belonged in your life like stars fit their notches in the sky, lose your hopes and plans and dreams--and yet you kept right on dreaming them.

Life had handed Tim this lesson before. He knew he could be a little slow on the uptake.

TIM RIGGINS, SIGH. tangleofthorns writes wonderful character pieces that grip you with their realism, and this is no exception. Her writing truly makes you feel for Tim who, in the aftermath of the pilot, is still dreaming of Jason, the past that they had and the future that they wanted. The ficlet ends quietly and sadly, but it's so skilful that I think it's worth the sadness. So poignant; just brilliant.

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therealjae/jae gecko. (3)
chains and fetters (tyra)

But there's one thing Mrs. Taylor's email doesn't mention. And that's the feeling she got when she first set foot on campus—the one that felt like stepping out of some bitterly cold darkness into the warmest, brightest light she'd ever seen. It never goes away, that feeling. It's there when she catches her first glimpse of the Tower against the blue sky of an Austin morning. It's there when she stays up late hovering over a calculus problem, frustration stinging her eyes, only to discover in class the next day that she got it right. It's there when she slides into a booth next to Zach and Jessica with a slice of Mr. Gatti's pizza and finds that they have a dozen things to talk about besides football.

Tyra, excelling at college, and then coming home to feel the difference. Some people come home from college and don't notice the difference in themselves for a long time (see: me). Others come home and feel the differences and distances immediately. Tyra's one of these people.

I love this rendering of her - her joy in college, and that fierce quality to her personality when she comes home. She hasn't changed as much as she thinks, but she's also changed more than she realises. I love the interactions here - Tami Taylor's emails, and Tyra's family's reactions to her. You can picture it all play out in your head, and Tyra is so beautiful in this, I can't even begin to explain it. The author nails her, completely.



sun of a new season (tami, julie)

Julie smoothes the sides of her hair, tucking in the few stray strands that have fallen out of her clip, and Tami looks down at herself. All she sees is jeans that don't quite fit and a tummy that's hanging out a little too far these days. She covers herself up with the edge of her sweater.

I wasn't really sold on this fic until things began to fix themselves about half-through, and then I loved it. (Fact: whenever I write something and someone leaves for pastures new, in all likelihood they went to NYC.) The author really gets the dynamic of Tami and Julie's mother-daughter relationship - both Tami's fear of the distance between them, and Julie's need to simultaneously embrace her roots and establish herself as a separate entity. I get frustrated with the characters' relationship on the show precisely because it's so real sometimes (other times because I want to shake Julie) and Jae brings all of that realism to her fic. A great piece of writing, and a great fic.



40 miles north of presidio (tim)

It only takes Tim two months in Austin to realize how much he hates it. Part of it's about living packed like sardines into dorm rooms, and part of it's about the sound of city traffic that never goes away, even with the window shut and the air conditioner running full blast. But mostly it's about the fancy rich kids with their fancy clothes and their fancy attitudes. They join frats and party in big white pillared houses that look like something straight out of Gone with the Wind. They talk to each other in city-boy accents that make even the Garritys sound like trailer park hicks. And they always, always look straight through Tim.

Unlike Tyra, Tim never really makes it in college, and Dillon fits too tightly, so he takes off on his bike... and then breaks down. My notes for this fic read "Tim Riggins. Running away and coming back around, just like always" and whilst that's true, this fic is also about healing. Riggin's is one of those characters that is always going to be picking up his pieces, I think, but I like this idea that at the least he's trying. I guess that's why I like the characters in this show: each and every one of them has a private battle, and each and every one of them is fighting so hard just to keep the tide from taking them under. There isn't resolution for Tim because there isn't resolution in life; there's just breaks in the chaos, and stretches of life in between. Jae captures that perfectly in this fic; there's optimism there at the end, and that's how you know that Tim may be down, but he's not beaten. Not yet.

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oxoniensis (5)
illumination (drabble, tami)

First time Tami's been to church in a while. Eric's made Grace his excuse to stay home, and her arms feel light. Light arms, light mind, and she smiles as she prays.

A touching drabble about Tami and faith, and her family. I have a deep-seated love for Tami Taylor, her no-nonsense attitude and her big heart, and this drabble does justice to her in a gentle, understated way.



renewed in the spirit of your minds (lyla; eric/tami)

But there's a knot of sin inside her, big black knot and Lyla Garrity is not love. God is love but the perfect little Miss Garrity is hate and bitterness and she wants to hurt her father and punch the smugness out of Tim Riggins' face and beat up that little tattooing bitch who stole Jason from her.

Another fic about faith (which is ironic because the show only comments on it in a passing, social way). But really, set around 2x01, this fic is about Lyla's fight to find something that belongs to her, and Eric's love for his family. Both people are hurting in some way, both are human and humble. There's light and dark in this fic, but it's all very earthly. I think it's wonderful.



I can no more cross this room than zeno's arrow (jason)

They pass a battered truck, as familiar as his own. Tim raises his hand uncertainly from the wheel. Jason just closes his eyes. He's tired and he wants to get back home, and he ignores the thought that for a fraction of a second he was all set to smile at Tim, to wave back.

A fic that's quite low in mood, following Jason as he tries to adjust to his life, and tries to forgive Lyla and Tim. There are moments of bitterness and moments where you feel for him in his struggle to normalise. This is a great character piece, quiet and aching through and through.



the sky of the sky of a tree called life (lyla, tyra)

Tyra looks disbelieving, the same look she had on her face two days ago when Lyla first said sorry to her. "What, we're going to picnic now, like we're friends? It isn't enough that we're driving back to Dillon together, you want us to picnic?"

"Yes." Lyla looks at her, firm.

Tyra shrugs. "Okay."

Lyla and Tyra, and trying to bridge distances. Lyla is her earnest self, and Tyra is more like her than she knows. A lovely fic, bright, light and touching.



a game of snakes and ladders (drabble, tyra)

So you gamble. Get on a bus one day, buy a ticket as far as you can afford. You lean your head against the glass and watch Dillon slip by outside, dusty roads and dusty days. Your hair falls over your face, and you tuck it behind your ears so you can see your victory.

Pre-show, a fourteen-year-old Tyra tries to run away from home. Naturally, she doesn't get too far. This fic is Tyra through and through, and you come away from it feeling her bitter, teenage resolve. An excellent drabble.

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others. (3)
dialogue by them0rgue (landry)

Landry likes weekends without games the best because there’s a lull in the buzz around Dillon where everyone breaks out of the fog of Slammin’ Sammy’s voice and looks in amazement upon the changed faces of their families and neighbors. Barbeques are hosted, brunches are had, and the entire town congregates at Applebee’s on Friday night to finally catch up and talk about topics that aren’t blue and gold.

Written for picfor1000, this ficlet is effortless in its narration. The plot is summarised by the first line, but the beauty of it is in the way the town - and the body of the show - is so eloquently and precisely captured by the author. An excellent piece of writing, and a touching piece of fic.



burn your mansion to the ground by inlovewithnight (lyla)

"Come with me," he says, leaning toward her, wobbling at the edge of his wheelchair. "Come away with me."

Two years ago she was just waiting for those words, would've shivered and melted at those words, she thinks. And then, she thinks no; no, she wouldn't have, because she had a plan, all along, and she believed in her plans like they were carved in stone, and none of them said anything about slipping away in the night.

a.k.a. Five Ways Lyla Garrity Leaves Dillon. I like fic about Lyla because it expands on a character that I am usually fairly blasé about. She often frustrates me on the show but I like her because she's always trying. This 'five things' fic runs through all sides of Lyla, the bitter and the beautiful, ending on a sweetly uplifting note.



a poor man's memory by shrift (tim)

"Did your father do this to you?" Mrs. Taylor asked.

Tim shifted on the couch in the guidance counselor's office. Stared at the wall over her shoulder. Wondered how many times he could punch the wall before he broke his hand. "No, ma'am."

"You can tell me the truth, you know. You can tell me who did this."

Tim finally looked at her, because he'd never get out of there otherwise. "I did this to me."

Mrs. Taylor paused. Blinked. Said, "Well, try not to do it again, huh?"

"Yeah, okay," Tim said.

Set in the aftermath of 1x17, I Think We Should Have Sex, and the beating Tim takes in that episode after his father turns out to be the man Tim hoped he wasn't. The scenes here feel like they could be slipped quietly into an episode and nobody would notice; I especially like Tim's interactions with Landry. Every voice is in character, and a lot gets said when people aren't saying anything. A great fic.

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Watched a couple of episodes of Lost last night, then watched TV-movie Carolina Moon which featured Claire Forlani and Oliver Hudson. It was quite obviously a mystery/romance adaptation and even though the dialogue was GOD AWFUL (no, really, it was horrendous - I don't know how they got Forlani and Hudson to sign on) the performances were oddly remarkable. Forlani had that southern accent nailed. I don't recommend it (read: HORRENDOUS) but I enjoyed it, and there were a couple of moments that genuinely made me jump. I sort of want to write fanfic for it? UGH, I KNOW. But. !!! UGH.